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E.H.JOHNSON. ELECTRICAL GONDUGTO R. 110,354,320. PaQtented- Deov..14, 1886.

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ducting capacity equal to that of theinner especially intended for use in housewiring UNITED STATES EDIVARD H. JOHNSON,

PATENT OFFICE.

on NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRlCAL CONDUCTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,320, dated December 14, 1886.

Application filed January 20, 1886.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ED\VARD H. JOHNSON, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electrical Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce electrical conductors especially adapted for the wiring of houses, ships, and other structures for electrielight purposes, and for wiring electric-light fixtures; and said invention consists in the novel devices and combinations of devices employed by me in accomplishing this object, as hereinafter described.

My invention is illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a view illustrating compound conductors embodying my invention, showing the connection of a main and a branch circuit through a safety-catch; Fig. 2, a View of such conductors connected directly, a safety-catch being shown in the main circuit; and Fig. 3, a crosssection of one of said compound-conductors.

A is a copper wire, which forms one side of a circuit. 13 is insulating material placed upon said wire. It is preferably a waterproof material, such as any fibrous substance impregnated with a bituminous substance or a drying-oil.

O is a tube, of lead or other readily-fusible metal, which is flexible, and which completely incloses the inner insulated conductor, A; or a wrapping of lead strips may be used instead. An outer inclosing insulation, 1), is placed upon the lead covering, such insulation being preferably a fire-proof one, such as a cover-. ing impregnated with white lead or other nonintiainmable substance. The lead tube 0 forms the other side of the circuit, and is of a concopper conductor, A.

As I have stated, this form of conductors is for clectriclightiug systems, wherein safetycatches are included in the conductors, and act to break the circuit when a short circuit or cross occurs between the two sides of the system. Sometimes, however, an arc may occur between the two sides of the system of insufficient conductivity to cause the fusing Serial No. 189,149. (X0 model.)

of a safety-catch, and in this case such are will continue to pass across, and may set fire to the insulation of the wires and to surrounding parts or objects. With my compound conductor, however, if by reason of a defect in the insulation B or from any other cause an arc occurs between the wire A and the lead tube 0, the lead is at once fused and the wire and tube are thus soldered together, producing a sure connection or short circuit of the lowest possible resistance between them, and making the burning of the safety-catches in circuit a necessary result. The conductors being inclosed by the fire-proof insulation D, there is no danger of any injury to external objects by the heat of the are or the fusing of the lead.

The compound conductor is flexible, and therefore well adapted for the purpose mentioned.

In Fig. 1, G represents an ordinary safetycatch block, and H II are the plugs which carry the fusible strips or wires. The external parts are removed from end of wire A, and this is connected with the safety-catch block by screw a in the ordinary manner. To connect the lead conductor 0, I may place upon it, first removing the covering D, a clamp, I, which may be soldered, if desired, to improve the connection, and from this clamp I a wire, K, may extend to the block, being held by screws a. Connections may be made in a similar manner wherever it is desired to'take off a circuit from the compound conductor, or they may instead be made as shown in Fig. 2. In forming this connection, wires A of the main and branch circuits are first bared and then the end of the branch wire is soldered to the main at Z). Wires A are then wrapped with insulatingtape 0. After. this lead (2, preferably in sheet or strip form, is wrapped tightly upon the insulating-tape 0, extending to the points at which lead tubeG has been cut away on each circuit, and these joints are then earefull y soldered by passing a hot iron over them. Thus the lead conductors of main and branch circuits are connected together. Any suitable insulation, which may be a wrap ping of tape, 0, is then placed upon the lead (I.

L L are the plugs of a main line safety-catch. To connect with the1n,insulation is removed as before and wires A are run directly to one of the plugs. Lead conductors O G are connected to the other plug by clamps I and wires K, the same as in Fig. 1.

I do not claim herein placing the two conductors of a round metallic circuit in such proximity that they will be fused or soldered together by the passage of an are between them, since this feature is claimed in my prior application, filed August 18, 1884.

What I claim is'- 1. Acompound electrical conductor having in combination an inner insulated wire and an inclosingenvelope of readily-fusible metal, each forming one side of a circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. A compound electrical conductor having in combination an inner insulated wire and an inclosing-envelope of readily-fusible metal, each forming one side of a circuit, and an external fire proof insulation, substantially as set forth.

3. A compound electrical conductor having in combination an inner wire provided with a waterproof insulation and an inclosing-en- Velope of readily-fusible metal, each forming one side of the circuit, and an external fireproof insulation, substantially as set forth.

4. A flexible compound electrical conductor having in combination an inner insulated wire, a lead tube inclosing the same, and an external fire-proof insulation, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of compound conductors, one forming a main and the other a branch circuit, the inner wires of the two being secured together and covered with insulation and the outer conductors being connected by a con ducting-wrapping, substantially as set forth.

ED'WARD ll. JOHNSON.

\Vitncsses:

A. W. KIDDLE, E. O. ROWLAND. 

